I haven’t devoted many Ubi Libertas Blog posts solely to commentary or preparedness over the last 14 months, preferring to focus on our journey. With one more day here at the campground before we return to The Mountain, and since I’ve touched on Ukraine and related topics already this week, I’ll stay with that theme.
Indulge me. Blame it on cabin fever, if that makes you feel better.
After taking the dogs on their end-of-day business trip last night Deb and I settled into bed, clicked on the TV and watched a movie — Red Dawn, the original 1984 version. Given current events we decided it was worth revisiting this semi-plausible but entertaining flick.
(No, I’ve never seen the 2012 version, which won countless awards for how awful it was. I don’t do remakes.)
Red Dawn isn’t a great film, nor is it what I’d call a how-to on resistance or guerilla tactics. Still, the dynamics are interesting and, despite often treading into the improbable, the tale offers some useful insights.
Notably, and though the film doesn’t really develop this aspect of what the “Wolverines” did, a working knowledge of surviving without the support of civilization is the very foundation of resistance. Jed and Matt had that, imparted by their father, and (presumably) they schooled the others. Kids who grow up spending time in the woods have an advantage over kids who don’t.
The script’s portrayal of characters’ reactions to their circumstances — hardship and discomfort, loneliness, separation, disloyalty and death — touched all the bases, doing more than merely supplying cinematic spice. Every one of those is real. Ask anyone who’s served in combat.
The best line in Red Dawn is, without a doubt,
“Let it turn to something else.”
Whenever I’m tempted to scoff at the premise that a handful of teenagers could frustrate an occupying force, I think about what a certain firearms master, the late Louis Awerbuck, had to say about that:
“When it’s all over, there’s going to be one guy standing there with a bolt Mauser on top of a hill, with no armor plating on, in short pants and tennis shoes with a hundred-year-old 1898 Mauser. He’s going to be the last man standing. It’s as simple as that.”
Skills matter. Will matters. Singer, not song.
I’ve always liked Red Dawn, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine gave us a handy excuse to watch it again. I’m glad we did.
A lot of the media narrative surrounding Ukraine has focused on speculation about what (if anything) Russia will do next. My cynical side sees that as hanging onto eyeballs by creating a “cliffhanger effect.” Journalistically (if such a thing even exists anymore) it could be an effort to make a far-away war relevant to Americans, to “bring it home.”
Will Putin invade non-NATO Sweden and Finland? Or will he go after Poland or the Baltic states, triggering a NATO response? Will he launch a “cyberattack” on US commerce or infrastructure? Is he mad enough and unstable enough to unleash strategic nuclear weapons?
For us regular folks, it’s important to avoid getting sucked into all that speculation — and I mean ignore it. None of these are new threats, and they’re no starker or more imminent now than they were a month ago.
Our preparedness mindset doesn’t change, either.
So you can stop showing me that map of the Bering Strait, ok? I’ve known how close Russia (nee USSR) is to Alaska since I was in first grade.
But let’s say that this war does, in fact and in some way, “come home.” It’s a virtual certainty that you and I won’t be affected directly by an attack, whether nuclear or cyber. Practically speaking our lives wouldn’t need to change because of the attack itself. The real threat to most of us will come from a different direction.
We’ve seen this movie. Think about it.
We can be absolutely sure that government, at all levels, will overreact. They’ll issue decrees and mandates, imposing “emergency orders” and punitive measures that’ll make Kid Turdeau [sic] look like a piker.
During the height of the WuFlu nonsense a lot of people called the climate of control “martial law.” Well, this time it actually would be martial law. The “pandemic” was a dress rehearsal.
What’s more, because most of our fellow citizens are soft-headed, blindly obedient and easily frightened, we’d again have to deal with panicked masses. The State effectively would raise a whole new army of Karens, latter-day Stasi charged with enforcing The New Order.
I’ve said before that I don’t believe that Russia will start slinging strategic or tactical nukes. “Cyberattacks” are somewhat more likely, but I think the Ruskies know they’re unprepared for the worldwide retaliation that’d follow.
If we are attacked, we need to be prepared for the threat to individual Liberty posed by our own governments’ response. At least we’ve had the last two years to practice.
Take care of yourselves, Patriots. Stay calm. Stay sharp. Stay free.
#WiseUp #LibertyOrDeath
#LetsGoBrandon #FJB
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